Dark Woods Circus
by gaaraisthebest170
Summary: Lovino and Feliciano Vargas have a secret. They're not entirely human. And now they're on the run. Or were, until they met a man everyone calls 'The Ringmaster'. Now they are in a circus. A FREAK circus. With cross-dressers. Rated M for violence, dark themes, sexual themes, & language. GerIta, Spamano, and others Read if you want. :P
1. Chapter 1

DARK WOODS CIRCUS-PART 1

THIS STORY WAS BASED OFF OF THE VOCALOID SONG 'DARK WOODS CIRCUS', WHICH GAVE ME THE IDEA FOR THIS FANFIC. THE FIRST TIME I HAD EVER TRULY LEARNED ABOUT THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT WENT ON IN FREAK CIRCUSES WAS WHEN I READ THE BOOK 'THE VAMPIRE'S ASSISTENT', WHICH INFLUENCED THIS STORY GREATLY. I HOPE THAT YOU ENJOY IT, FOR IT'S ONE OF MY MORE GRUESOME PIECES.

RATED M FOR VIOLENCE, PROFANITY, LANGUAGE, DARK THEMES, AND SEXUAL THEMES.

-GAARA

PART 1

**"**_**Cosa stai facendo?! **_**(What-a are you**_** doing?!)**_**"** He hissed in a low pitch, glaring from the shadows at his brother.

"_Volevo solo sapere cosa significa essere sotto il sole sembra. E'passato cosi tanto tempo, e il sole e proprio li. Ho dimenticato quello che e stato come trovarsi proprio lungo sotto i sole battente._ (I-I just wanted to know what-a being in the sun feels like. It's been such a long time-and the sun is right there. I've forgotten what it was like to just-just lie down under the beating sun.)" His younger brother whispered, his usually sweet voice coming out painfully raspy, for it had been well over two days since the last time they had drank something.

**"**_**Che cosa succede se qualcuno ti ha visto?! Abbiamo cose piu importanti di cui preoccuparsi in questo momento! Come dove stiamo andando a vivere! **_**(What if someone saw you?! We have more important things to worry about right-a now!** **Like where we're going to live!)" **He, Lovino Vargas, the oldest of the two, gestured around widely, as if to prove to his brother that not even in the farthest corner of the earth they could live a quiet, happy life.

**"**_** E quello che stiamo andando a mangiare! E drink! Come diavolo si fa a pensare che stiamo andando a sopravvivere quando si esegue circa, ottenere quelle stupide idee in testa, e quasi farci trovato! **_**(And what we're going to eat! And drink! How-a the hell do you think we're going to survive when you run about, getting those silly ideas in-a your head, and nearly get us found!)" **He raised his voice with every word, yet he tried to keep it at a very dull roar. No doubt they would be attacked again if they were to be noticed.

After looking at his younger brother Feliciano Vargas's reaction, however, he regretted making it sound like Feli was the one who had caused them all of the trouble. He had done more then his own fair share of damage on the situation, due to his very short temper that could disappear like a stick of pocky in a ravenous child's mouth.

Tears pricked in the corners of his soft-hearted brother's eyes, who looked up at the roofs of grey, deteriorating buildings and blinked quickly in a vain attempt to hide his innocent guilt from Lovi. He had always been the worst liar Lovino had ever laid eyes on.

"I'm s-sorry, _fratello_. I always mess-a everything up for us. I-I'm so sorry about-a everything!" Feli couldn't hold back the tears a moment longer and gave in, letting them spill down he sides of his cheeks. Everything had gone so wrong. Why did this have to happen to them?

**"Shut up, **_**fratellino,**_** and stop crying. For God's sake, get a spine. **_**Dio**_** knows you'll need one." **Lovino said quietly after a pause. That was about as considerate as he had ever gotten, and that alone was enough to bring back the cheery smile on his little brother's face. _Dio_, he looked like an idiot, grinning at nothing like that. Lovi never smiled, for there was nothing to smile about.

"_Si, mi fratello_~! Ehh, what shall we do now? We're a little... stuck." Italy looked around sheepishly. They were pressed up against the side of a building, the grey paint peeling off on the backs of their tattered shirts, and were surrounded by rays of sunlight. It was utterly impossible to move without immersing yourself in the warm light.

**"Shit... And I'm starting to get hungry again."** Romano muttered. As long as no one SAW them in the sunlight, they'd be fine, right? It'd linger for a couple minutes, but they could take refuge somewhere else that was not visible to they public eye.

**"Feli, we'll be okay if we can-a run to the other side of the street over there and-a hide for awhile. We just-a have to run when nobody's around." **Lovi pointed, giving his brother the general idea for which area the should sprint to. Feli nodded in agreement and looking at his brother expectantly.

"Tell-a me when."

A long pause followed, Lovi tried timing it as well as possible. Their were not many inhabitants in this run-down street, but a block away there was a market place that presented both the challenge of avoiding people and the opportunity to steal produce.

After another thirty seconds or so, he hissed a **"**_**Andare! **_**"** in his brother's ear, who bolted forward swiftly. Lovi was right on his heels.

The transformation that followed is not one that could be easily described, even though many stereotypes of such a thing have been passed down and altered to other's likings. The truth of it was that sweet little Feli's skin seemed to glow a sparkling ivory shade that made him look positively angelic. He had a radiant, cheery atmosphere encasing his body, and his face seemed to shimmer and change form every second that passed by. The only truly fearsome change that occurred in him was in his eyes. They glowed a brilliant red shade and his pupils were slitted, like a snake's.

Lovino's change, on the other hand, did not look even a little angelic. Much like his brother, a peculiar atmosphere engulfed him, but his was entirely different. He felt a dark, pulsing presence around him, pressing down on his body like some cancerous disease. He felt his fingers curl into the shape of claws. His eyes were exactly the same as his brother's, except his were a little sharper, more intense. Deep within him, he harbored an intense hatred for how they had been treated, and this was where it truly came out. He knew that he was a real monster, but did not understand why his brother so different from he.

They were half-breeds, half human, and half something else. They had always lived on the streets since their parents had died when Lovi was six and his brother was four, so they had no way of knowing what that other half was. Whenever others had witnessed their striking auras, they would seem to undergo some kind of weird transformation on their own, their eyes widening and staring at them intently. Feli had a hunch that they appeared different in the eyes of everyone else, and so far Lovi had no reason to think otherwise. Perhaps they looked terrifying;they had no way of knowing. All that really mattered to him was that they were treated differently, and that it was killing them to have to hide all the time. He could tell that it was damaging Feli the most, however. His cheerful, happy brother couldn't look others in the eye or even talk to them without someone trying something on him. He was never able to come out of the shadows. It was destroying him. He pretended like he was fine with it and smiled like one of those little wooden dolls you would occasionally see being sold out on a stand on the side of a street, but like that carved face, his smile was hollow, and it never fooled Lovino each time he saw it.

They were on the run from someone particular, for reasons unknown to them. The man in question had cornered Feli one sunny afternoon before their policy of staying in the shadows and had attempted to rip off his clothing. Feli, confused and frightened, had cried out for his brother, and with his aid, the two of them ran away. That was two years ago, and the man had still refused to stop searching out the cheerful Italian.

They ran for what seemed like hours, even though it was only several seconds. Lovi's heart pounded so loudly, he was terrified that someone had heard it and had enough curiousity to look for the source of it, even though that was entirely impossible. They managed to finally reach the other side and gasped from the stress that had gathered together in a neat little ball inside their stomachs.

They were just turning to walk around the corner of the building as a hand clasped Lovino's shoulder.

He stiffened. They had been found! His mind screamed at him, begged to run, but the firmly clenched hand seemed as if it was sucking his life energy right out of him, as if the bearer of the hand was none other than Satan himself. Lovi raised his eyes to meet his brother's, but his brother was too busy gawking at whomever had grabbed him to notice. Slowly, Lovino Vargas turned and met the eyes of the man who may have been his brother's pursuer.

Deep violet eyes bore down on his still crimson red ones. He lowered his to take in the rest of the man's appearance.

His was wearing an enormous cloak the color of cream. Lovi had no idea why; it was scorching out! He had to be on the verge of passing out from heat exhaustion! To top it off, the man also had a long, white scarf on that had to have been very old, since the ends were very tattered and frayed. He also had on beige colored gloves, which meant that his entire torso and arms were unseen. His lower half was also not visible, since he was wearing long, dark brown pants underneath his coat and even darker brown boots to top it off. So really, the only skin you could actually see on him was that on his face. His hair looked like fallen snow, for not only did it look neat and fell into place, but it was also that shade. Even so, he looked fairly young, perhaps in his late twenties. He was also at least six feet tall, and bore a knobby cane, which to Romano looked as if the wood was molded into the shape of a pipe.

The thing he noticed the most about the man, however, was his enormous grin, which made him appear very unstable.

The curious stranger peered down on the two of them, that eerie smile twisting and contorting until it spread all the way across his face. After another several tense moments went by like this, he finally spoke to the two.

**"Hmm... You two are rather interesting, I don't even know how to describe it. At first, I would say angels, but judging from your eyes... **_**Demons**_**, da?"** He spoke smoothly in a very thick Russian accent.

Feli was still too flabberghasted to say a word, so Lovino spoke up. **"I don't-a treat people who tell my brother and-a I that we are demons before even introducing themselves very kindly, **_**bastard."**_

The Russian man was a little taken aback by his rudeness but hid his anger, for his fuse was also quite short. **"Italians all the way out here, da? Well, I suppose it's all the same. Beggers are beggers... Come with me. I have something to **_**offer **_**you and your brother."**

Romano grit his teeth in defiance. **"Why should-a we go anywhere with-a YOU? You're obviously going to do something to us!"**

The man simply gritted his teeth and stretched his lips into that Cheshire smile of his. **"I am Ivan Braginsky, and I have a job for you and you brother that requires your peculiar... **_**appearance**_**, you see. I'll set it up as an offer you couldn't possiby refuse."** Noting the looks of wavering hesitation in the somewhat naive Italian's eyes, he continued on smoothly. **"Walk with me, I would like to show you what this job requires. You may run off whenever you wish; I won't try to stop you. It would be perferable if you'd see what my bargain was, however."**

The man had obviously accquired some skills in manipulation, for after a little more goading, he was able to convince the two Italians to walk beside him in the shadows to whatever place he wanted to show them. They walked for about ten minutes, each passing moment making Lovino feel tenser and tenser, for not only were they walking with a complete stranger, their transformation still hadn't worn off.

Finally, they arrived infront of a red and white striped tent which they identified to be a circus tent. The disturbing part was not the tent itself, but the_ things around it._ This carnival was just outside of the little urban town, in a dark part of the woods. There were sad little stands surrounding the tent on all sides, looking so beaten and worn to the point where they made Lovino think of a marionette he had as a child. One day, he had taken it outside against his mother's orders and had gotten grass and mud stains on it. What was worse, he also managed to drop it on it's forehead against the pavement, so it had a gruesome crack along the side of it's face.

On a nearby tree, Lovi's eyes were drawn to a strange poster:

THE DARK WOODS CIRCUS

_Venez voir l'exposition de monstres séduisant, tenue à La tente principale!_(Come and watch the amazing freak show, held in the main tent!)

_Certaines des attractions:_(Some of the main attractions:)

_La Femme à barbe_

(THE BEARDED LADY)

_Le loup-garou au c_œur froid

(THE COLD-HEARTED WEREWOLF)

_Le célèbre magicien: ARTHUR KIRKLAND_

(THE FAMOUS MAGICIAN: ARTHUR KIRKLAND)

_LE VAMPIRE DE TRANSYLVANIE_

(THE TRANSYLVANIAN VAMPIRE)

_Le dompteur_

(THE LION TAMER)

_L'homme à l'estomac indestructible_

(THE MAN WITH THE INDESTRUCTABLE STOMACH)

_Le gitan_

(THE GYPSY)

They were going in the back enterance instead of the front, even though the circus had not yet opened. Lovi and Feli watched as Mr. Braginsky opened the tent flap and walked in, not even glancing back to see if they were following. They waited another minute or so until their appearence returned to normal before entering. Thank_ Dio_ for granting them some shade at that given moment (Lovino now had a reason to really love clouds).

It really wasn't his fault for how things turned out. He had never heard of the things the go on in a circus when the crowd was not there. Hell, he didn't even know what happened in a circus when people WERE there. He and his brother had never been to one before, so he had absolutely no way of knowing what to find when he opened that flap.

He was face to face, eye to eye with perhaps the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was gorgeous, with long brown hair flowing down her back in a loosely made ponytail and eyes the color of caramel chocolate. Her skin was a color that looked like a cup of coffee with far too much cream in it. She was also wearing an Asian-styled outfit that Lovino assumed was a kimono. It was emerald green and had a silver dragon stiched into it near the bottom. The green shade lightened until it was almost yellow at her shoulders, making it a lovely work of art.

Behind her stood a man in a magnificently embroidered cape and a top hat. He had startling green eyes and messy blonde hair poking out from under the top hat he was wearing. The sight of him made Lovi want to burst out laughing, and not because of that odd outfit of his. Two large eyebrows were visible just under his hat, making him look even stranger. Despite the fact that he had two caterpillars on his face, however, he was still quite attractive. Before they had walked in, the pair of them had been arguing over something.

The woman smiled at the two of the before Feli spoke up. "C-Ciao, Miss. I'm Feliciano and-a this is my brother, Lovino. Who are-a you?"

If her smile had resembled a beautifully decorated plate, then Fei had just snatched up that plate unknowingly and had dropped it on the floor in shards. _"What did you say, aru?"_

Feli blinked in confusion. "Ve? I said that I'm Feliciano and-a this is my brother, Lovino."

_"Before that, aru!"_

"U-Um, ciao?" Feli stuttered out, surprised by the forcefulness the woman put behind her words.

_"YOU CALLED ME A 'MISS'! I AM NOT A FEMALE, ARU YO!" _She screeched, clearly upset with Feli, who was astounded.

"Y-You're not?!" Feli asked, noticing that her (?) chest had a buldge nonetheless.

"No! Why does everyone assume-" She/he looked down at herself/himself. "Oh... I, um, apologize for that, aru. I didn't realize that I hadn't changed outfits yet, aru." She/he looked quite embarressed and excused her/himself.

**"What-a just happened?! Chigi, that man-bitch was an asshole!"** Romano spat out suddenly, jarring Feli and the Eyebrow Man out of their stupor.

"Erm, well, you see... Yao's a little sensitive about his job here. The Ringmaster gave him one of the most bloody dreadful jobs here since Yao was exceedingly rude to him when they met awhile back. I've even heard rumors that the Ringmaster forces Yao to be his shag-slave from time to time. If you value your future, I suggest staying far away from both of those blokes." Eyebrow Man spoke up, looking at the two of them a little wearily. He knew that most circus folk ended up here for a reason; the two of them could be known murderers from, say, Afghanistan for example. Even so, they looked almost...

As an afterthought, Arthur added, "I suppose I should tell you my name. I'm Arthur Kirkland, now don't make me repeat that, alright? You two kind of look lost. Did the Ringmaster recruite you two and leave you here?"

It became clear that Lovi wasn't planning on answering, so Feli spoke up. "Do you mean Mr. Braginsky?"

"Mr. Braginsky?" Arthur repeated, his British accent sounding a little weird when saying the Russian name. "Yeah, that would be him. His office is actually on the other side of this tent. I suppose he dragged you in here hoping that Ludwig would goad you into helping set everything up, since none of us want to do it in the first place. I'd take you to the Ringmaster's tent, but... Well, he and I have had our differences. Let me get someone else to show you where it is..." Arthur left with a nod, ducking behind the curtain to where the stage would presumeably be once set up. Lovino felt his brother grab on to the hem of his shirt reassuringly while they stood waiting in silence.

Another geisha came out from behind the curtain walking side by side with Arthur, who looked passively at the Italian brothers.

This time, Lovino and Feliciano were better prepared for this geisha's gender. She/he had short jet-black hair and solumn looking eyes the color of black tea. She/he was also very short and petite with lighter skin then the first geisha, Yao. She/he was wearing a beautiful sky blue kimono that had clouds and cranes woven into it. The richness of the fabric could not be ignored, and it was perhaps the most wonderous thing the two Italians had ever seen in their lives.

As she/he approached them with Arthur in tow (who might've been staring at his/her ass) she bowed to both Feli and Lovi in turn politely. Suddenly, Lovino exploded.

**"What-a is with all of these cross-dressers, hn?! **_**Che palle**_**, it really screws with-a your head!"**

Instead of feeling insulted, the geisha merely looked up at Lovi with a stange twinkle in his/her eyes. "_Konnichiwa. _You have met _Onii-chan, hai? _I'm sure he was quite happy to tark to you, seeing as he roves his job so very much. He's even more upset since he's forced to wear a kimono, which is some kind of insurt to his Chinese ansestors, apparentry. I myserf have gotten used to it all, and am Japanese, so I don't really mind as much. My name is Honda Kiku."

After hearing Kiku speak, Lovi decided that he was a male as well. He was about to insult him for saying that he actually DIDN'T mind cross-dressing, when his brother spoke up.

"Ve, what-a do you geisha actually DO here? I-I mean..." Feli trailed off, a little flustered. "I-In Japan, weren't geisha u-used for... umm..."

Kiku looked rather embarressed too. "T-That is just the Western interpretation of geisha! Honestry, we don't go around having intercourse with our guests, if that is what you mean. We are actually the greeters and entertain the crowd untir the performers are ready. Sometimes we'll even run nearby stands if we are short on herpers. Every once in awhire, we get some temporary peopre."

"Temporary?" Feliciano asked curiously.

"The peopre who are kicked out or-" Kiku recieved a strange look from Arthur. "-have things happen to them."

The two Italian's eyes grew round. "What-a kinds of things?"

"Nothing." Arthur broke in curtly. "They merely live in the streets for the rest of their lives. Now if you'll excuse me, I am supposed to be helping Al get a nail out of his stomach." He turned and abruptly left, leaving the two brothers with the Japanese 'geisha'.

**"What the hell was **_**that **_**all about?"** Lovino asked, rather irritated with the Brit. He didn't really like the man very much, despite how helpful he had been.

"Ah, Igirisu has arways had a probrem with newcomers. Don't worry, he'll warm up to you in time." Kiku responded carefully, remembering that Arthur had been that way towards _him_ when _he_ had been a newcomer, and now Kiku was one of his closest friends. Or accuantices, at least.

"On another subject, how did you two end up here?" Kiku asked. "Usually, the Ringmaster only brings in peopre he has a particurar interest in."

"O-Oh, well, w-we don't-a really know..." Feli stammered, looking away in shame.

Unfortunately for the two Italian brothers, they realized as they looked out the tent flap that their was no way they could possibly reach the Ringmaster's tent without walking in the sunlight.

"Uhh, Kiku, right? Umm, well, I'm sure that we can find the tent from here... I mean, it's not too far away, ve?" Feliciano tentaively asked.

"No, it is not very far away. But I am a, er, _man _of my word, so I will see you there untir the end. No matter how much hatred I bare for the Ringmaster." Kiku replied gravely.

"No, really! You don't need to!" Feliciano cried.

"I berieve I do. All newcomers get rost the first week or so." Kiku insisted, involuntarily bobbing his head slightly.

Feliciano was so into the conversation, he didn't even notice at first when he accidentally stepped into the sunlight. The tansformation began swiftly, and right before the Asian man's eyes, nonetheless. Kiku's eyes grew to the size of dango before he blinked in shock. And then he blinked again. And again. Then finally...

"W-What exactry ARE you, newcomer?!" Kiku asked in awe.

"Umm, we... don't really know. The two of us were born this way, vee. Wait! Did I forget to mention my name? Oh, oops! I'm Feliciano Vargas, and this is my older brother, Lovino Vargas! S-Sorry..." Feli said a little too quickly (as well as shakily).

"Hold on, Felicino-kun. So the two of you don't know what your race is?" Kiku asked as they continued to walk. Lovino paused a moment at the end of the shadow before thinking **'To hell with it!'** and jumping into the sunlight.

"Si, that's-a correct."

"I see... I honestry have no idea what you two have gone through because of that. And I have no idea of what might be in store for your future. Perhaps you should talk to Lukas. He is our fortune-teller, though you must go along with his femare disguise when in the presence of customers. He is VERY sensitive about his job, actually... Anyway, here we are." Kiku paused, grabbing the red tent's flap before changing his mind and realeasing it, recoiling a little.

"The Ringmaster is in there. Prease, don't say anything that you don't need to. Keep your conversation short and to-the-point. He doesn't rike to entertain others very much. And arso," Kiku's souless eyes gazed directly into Lovino's soft golden brown ones. "Try not to say anything... Irrationar. You two seem genuinely nice compared to some of the other peopre who have worked here in the past. If you upset The Ringmaster... That's it. You NEVER get second chances, it's the raw. Prease be carefur."

The man shuffled away, turning his head slightly to give the pair a parting glance. As his beautiful kimono was loosened slightly, Lovino had noticed something he hadn't before; on the nape of the Assian's neck, their were long scars and several nearly hidden burns, as if someone had slashed him repeatedly with a hot poker. Lovi suddered a little as he turned to face the tent's enterance, trying to peer through a small opening. He gave his younger brother a long look before gulping slightly and reaching out to open the flap further.

**"Why are you here?" **The Russian man asked as if the mere thought of him graceing them with his presence for a single moment more was absurd.

**"W-We wanted to know the details of this job first."** Lovino spoke up boldly, glaring at the taller man resting on a lounge chair straight in the eye.

**"Hm? You wake up every day at six, you do odd jobs for the circus, you get paid based on your labor and such. You'll sleep in one of the spare tents we have, or anything else that's available. Talk to Gil about that at some point, da? Anything else?" **TheRingmaster asked smoothly, taking swigs from a flask uncannily often. The scent seeping out of it indicated that it contained some heavy alchohol; possibly vodka.

**"Y-Yeah. Who the hell is **_**Gil?**_**"" **Lovino asked in irritation. He didn't like how the man just assumed they knew who Gil was without any sort of inclination to his identity.

The Russian let out a small _'kol'_ before responding. **"**_**Gilbert **_**is one of the Ringleaders here, meaning that he only does what I ask of him (theoretically) and does not participate in any shows. He's Ludwig's older brother, though blood is the only similarity they share. He has spiky white hair, red eyes, and has a painfully **_**loud**_** voice. You'll find him in the middle of setting up tents somewhere (hopefully). If you find him, let him know that Ludwig needed him for something, da?"**

Lovi nodded absentmindedly, wondering about what kind of doorstep fate had left them at. He sure as hell hoped that the man before them wasn't as aweful as everyone made him out as.

"Um... sir? What-a is under that?" Feliciano spoke softly, barely breathing the sentence. His frail index finger pointed at a long, gorgeous silk hankercheif the color of ash. It bore golden embroidery along the sides and a very peculiar shape in the middle, possibly an eye of some sort. It was precariously placed on top of a hidden container of some sort; a jar, judging by it's shape. The hankercheif added an intense air of mystique that made Lovi feel quite surreal, like he had been drugged with something.

The jar underneath seemed to beckon to him, crying out with the desire to be seen. It suffocated Lovi to the point where he was certain that he would collapse if he did not see what was underneath the beautiful cloth.

**"That,"** Ivan began, cutting into Lovino's thoughts mercilessly. **"Is the prop. Most people in town don't come here for a performance; they come to see **_**that.**_** The actors are there as an appetizer and dessert. The main course is under that hankercheif there. If you are interested in this object, I suggest that you observe our next show. Consider it an **_**initiation ceremony**_**, if you will."**

**"Hn, consider it done." **Lovino retorted, casting a look towards his younger brother, who was peerin at the covered jar eagerly. **"C'mon Feli. Let's go find this Gil-freak. Later, Communist!" **Lovi waved over his shoulder as he grasped his brother's wrist and exited the stuffy tent.

"_Fratello?_ What do you think of this place, vee?" The Italian boy asked, looking directly into Lovino's eyes.

**"I think we need to be careful. This place seems way too off. And what's with all the crossdressing? If they try to make ME wear women's clothes, I'll shove that kimono right up their ass." **Lovino stated grimly. It would be really nice if he and his brother could settle down in a place like this; at least for a little while. But despite his vulgar language and general wussy-ness, Lovi was no fool. This place may end up making their lives worse. After all, Lovino had overheard the stories of freak circuses told by the children in his old neighborhood. He knew that when someone was trying to lay low or was being chased by the law, the easiest place for them to go was at the moving freak show. Knowing that he and his brother fit into that category as well did not end up improving his mood.

**"Feli... Let's give this place a good shot. It's not like we get these kinds of-a opportunities often, right? If it ends up being dangerous, then we'll just-a leave. Okay?" **

"O-Okay. But, Lovi... That man, the Ringmaster... He seemed a little... I dunno." Feliciano started hesitantly, trying to grasp the right words.

_"... Il suo sorriso mi ha fatto desiderare di avvolto nella paura." _(...His smile made me want to cower in fear.)

Fin~

So, yeah. That was the first chapter of Dark Woods Circus. Review if you want. I love reading reviews but hey, I'm not gonna cram it down your throat (it's kinda annoying when authors do that :/ ). Next chapter will focus more on the Italy brothers varied impressions on Gil and Ludwig~ Ciao~ (Was the random Italian annoying? I couldn't help thinking that it might be a bit, but I wanted to give the fanfic a more rich feel. Hopefully it's okay, cause it's kinda fun adding foreign speech~)

-gaaraisthebest170


	2. Chapter 2

**Feliciano peered carefully around one of the bigger tents. It was getting quite dark outside, so he and his brother were in no danger of exposure to the sun's rays. Even though the day had been scorching hot in the beginning, it was cooling down at a rapid rate, giving the circus grounds a peculiar melancholy feel. Feli felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up as he imagined Ivan jumping out at him from the surrounding woods.**

The woods were quite curious by themselves as well. They stood precisely strait, like accusing index fingers pointing directly to the stars. The strange purple fog the townspeople often whispered about was beginning to rise ominously, swirling around in circles that quickly whisked towards the Italian brothers in blind, confused swivels. Feli whimpered softly, biting his lip, looking at the gruesome surroundings one by one. He then lifted his head and looked directly into the eyes of Lovino, who looked perhaps more frightened than him.

"W-We'll be fine, fratello. I don't-a want to see your face with th-that stupid expression on it any more, okay?" Lovino cast shifty eyes back and forth across the land, and noticed two muscular men next to a half constructed tent. They appeared to be arguing.

"I don't know vhy you are freaking out about this so much, Vest. I mean, come on! It looks perfectly fine! It vould NEVER collapse!" One of the men projected, his loud voice echoing all around the clearing. His hair was a shocking white and he was noticeably pale. The other man to whom he was talking to seemed very pissed off. He had blonde hair that was slicked back to utter perfection and his skin was a slight shade pinker than the other's.

"Bruder, please. This thing is barely standing as it is. You put the poles too far apart, see?" The man sighed impatiently, muscles noticeable even from the distance Feli and Lovi were at.

"Are you drunk?! It's perfect! Let Antonio finish it off. He needs to get off of his ass anyvay." The white-haired man insisted. His face turned directly to the Italian brothers, and they managed to catch a glimpse of deep red.

"That's him. Gilbert." Lovino noted, turning to look back at his little brother. "Are-a you ready?"

Feliciano seemed to be transfixed to the spot. His eyes never wavered from the two figures in front of them. Lovi waited a couple moments and then impatiently piped up, "Well?! Let's go already!"

Feli snapped out of his trance and glanced back to his brother. He seemed to be trembling. "O-Okay..."

Lovino huffed and snatched Feli's wrist, dragging him theatrically out from behind the tent. As they walked irregularly towards the pair, the two men noticed them. "Sorry, but the circus isn't open yet. Come back in a couple days." The blonde wrongly dismissed them, his pair of bright blue eyes piercing theirs.

"We don't care about that. We're here to work." Lovino replied defensively, glaring back at him with flames dancing in his eyes.

"Oh, are you?" The white-haired man sneered. "Kesesese... That von't last very long. You two don't seem very abnormal, and you both look rather veak. Did that freaky Russian send you here? He's always giving me shitty henchmen. Toni ALWAYS gets the good ones!"

Lovino glared at the taller man furiously, hissing cusses in Italian. The blonde man frowned and crossed his arms, casting his supposed brother a disapproving glance. His sharp blue eyes glinted ominously as he looked back at the two Italians. "Please excuse him. He's a little... bitter, at the moment. He'll come around. But vhat he says isn't entirely wrong. It vould be vise for you to turn back vhile you still can. The Ringmaster... he vill destroy you. In every sense of the vord. Leave now."

Feliciano's gaze snapped over to his brother, panic rapidly swelling in the pit of his stomach. If Ivan was really this terrible, then he and his brother would be better off on the streets again, right?

But to his dismay, the older brother's face was hardened, locking him into place with sheer pride. When Lovino got like this, absolutely nothing could dampen his stubbornness, especially not reason. His lips curled into a cold sneer and he tilted his head higher in a display of false courage.

"You don't know anything about us. My fratello and I can handle ourselves pretty well. Just-a show us where we'll stay for-a the night, chigi." Lovino snapped, his temper reminding his brother of the sound a brittle branch makes as it's being stepped on.

The blonde looked tired by both the Italian and his brother's antics, so he merely nodded, acting as if he was bearing some cumbersome weight on his shoulders. He spoke with a solemn, formal air, his voice ringing in the deadened field. "You're making a terrible mistake, but who am I to make your choices for you? There's space in one of the lesser tents near ours. My name is Ludwig Beilschmidt. This is my bruder, Gilbert." Ludwig nodded in the direction of the white-haired man, who grinned impishly in reply. "I'll escort you to the tent. Bruder, get back to fixing this one. It looks like absolute shit." Gilbert's face contorted into an offended scowl, but was immediately shot down by another glare from Ludwig.

Feli looked a little nervous as he approached Ludwig. "Uhh, I'm- Feliciano Vargas. This is my-a older fratello, Lovino. Sorry for causing you and your brother, um, problems..."

"Nein, don't vorry about it. Mein Bruder und ich disagree quite often. Ve are two very different people, after all."

Ludwig strode off ahead of Feliciano and Lovino in the direction of the growing cluster of circus tents, there faded shades of yellow and red soon enveloping the trio slowly. Feli grabbed his brother's arm in desperation, but was immediately shoved away by his irritated older brother. Ludwig continued leading them further and further into the mess of tents until stopping in front of a tent near the back. It was strewn out like a broken swallow and it was at the base of a pale, skinny tree that shot up into the sky like a streak of violent lightning. It's presence was so immense, it's mere shadow tainted the ground below. Standing at it's base, the two Italians felt very small.

"U-Um, Ludwig?" Feliciano started, looking up at the German hopefully. "This isn't where we're staying, is it? I m-mean, is there somewhere... else?"

Ludwig frowned. "This is the only tent available. Ve don't lug around spare supplies too often, so consider yourselves lucky. I can see vhy you vould vant a different tent, though. This one always has extra room for a reason."

A scowl flashed across Lovino's face. "Why is everyone so secretive here?! What exactly is wrong with this place? Just say it, for God's sake!"

Ludwig grimaced. "You'll find out soon enough. Vhy don't you go get settled in? I'll be in the tent to your right in a couple hours. Find me if you need anything, ja?" With a final glance at Feli and a curt nod, the German man went back in the direction the three had come from.

"Well, come on then." Lovino grumbled, snatching his brother by the sleeve and dragging him yet again. 

* * *

**Did you SEE those italienisch? Damn! They were so hot! BWAHAHAHAHAA!" Gilbert exclaimed, slapping his brother across the back as they headed towards the supply tents. Ludwig sighed in defeat at his brother's exclamation. Why did he always have to act like this...  
"I vould totally do one of them! RIght up the ass! Really, bruder, it's perfect! One for me und one for you! HAHAHAHAAA!" Gil continued on, his manic laughter grating terribly on Ludwig's nerves. He grabbed one end of a pole, waiting for his younger brother to grab the other end.**

"Just stop, bruder. They looked terrified. There's no need to pick on them yet." Ludwig insisted, grunting as the two of them lifted yet another heavy pole. "Und honestly, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm straight. You're the one who likes guys."

Gilbert bristled. "I'm bi! Get it right if you're gonna try insulting me, kesesesese! Und I don't believe for a second that you're straight! You just never seem to have an interest in girls, and you've never said anything about guys, so I just assumed that you vere gay. Plus, I saw you checking out the smaller one~!"

Now it was Ludwig's turn to get defensive. "I don't know vhat you're talking about, bruder."

"Admit you don't have an interest in him, Vest." Gil persisted. "Admit it!"

Ludwig sighed, trying to ignore the fact that his brother was actually going to go there. "Fine. He's kind of... good looking, I suppose. Are you happy?"

To Ludwig's growing irritation, his older brother fell into a fit of spasmodic laughter, emitting strange shrieking noises every once in awhile. Ludwig was about to tell him to fuck off right as Gil's two closest friends strolled in.

"Hola Gil~! Ludwig!" Antonio, Gil's closest friend, exclaimed cheerfully, slightly bouncing as he walked over to the pair. He had dark brown unruly hair and a forever-happy smile planted permanently onto his face. His skin was a rich sun-tanned color that seemed to glow in the swiftly darkening night. Following behind him was a slender fair-haired figure wearing a long deep blue dress that swept all the way down to the ankles. She had aquamarine encrusted eyes that sparkled merrily and her hair fell just above her shoulders. The only thing that seemed wrong with her was the fact that she had facial hair. A short, stubbly beard was stubbornly growing on her chin, which was why she was the circus' bearded lady.

"Vhy are you still in your costume, Francis? You know you don't have to dress like that at this hour. You're not fooling any of us, kesesesese." Gilbert chortled at the fair-haired lady, whose face also contorted into a strangely terrifying grin.

"I know, Gil. But it's just too much fun dressing like a lady sometimes. I mean, I only am in costume during dress rehearsals and onstage, so it's not like I get to prance around outside in a dress. It's unfair!" The cross-dressing man, Francis, giggled. In every circus, you have the actual freaks and then you have the wannabe freaks. Francis Bonnefoy fell into the latter category like the last piece to a puzzle.

Gilbert sighed. "Unlike everyone else here, you actually enjoy your job. What the hell is wrong vith you, Francis?!"

"'Ey! I just said that I enjoy dressing up for my job, not the actual job itself. There is a 'uge difference!" Francis corrected quickly.

"Oh, that reminds me. Ve have some fresh blood now! Two little kids came here looking for jobs. Und vhat's veird is that the Ringmaster actually hired them!" Gilbert chuckled, elbowing Ludwig in the ribs. "The best part is that Luddy seems to have a boner for one of them!"

"Really? What are they like?" Francis inquired, his famous grin spreading further and further across his face until he began resembling the Chesire Cat. Ludwig clotted his older brother in the ear out of humiliation while Antonio merely chuckled to himself.

"They're two cute little Italian brothers. The one Luddy's interested in is all sweet und innocent vhile the other's a feisty fucker. Vhat vere their names again, Vest?" Gilbert elaborated, pausing long enough to turn to Ludwig.

"Feliciano und Lovino Vargas." He responded crossly, rather irritated with this whole conversation.

"Right, right. Anyvay, you'll see them later in the food court, probably." Gilbert stated proudly, happy to be the one with the inside information for once.

"Oui, I would definitely like to meet the two of them. Honhonhon!" Francis smirked, sick ideas flooding in and out of his twisted mind.

"Si! I would-a like to meet them too! Maybe I could try my Italian on them. It's similar to Spanish, no?" Antonio mused, rolling his 'r's a little more than usual. The Spaniard occasionally enjoyed exaggerating his accent due to his rather proud nature.

"And French, oui? It's like Toni and I made love and had children! Honhonhon~~~" The frenchman purred, ticking his gaze over to Antonio suggestively, who laughed it off awkwardly. He and the rest of them should be used to Francis' eerie passes, but not a single one of them were able to feel 100% safe around him. That would be utter suicide.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Ludwig added stiffly. Quickly retreating to get the end of another pole. Gilbert followed right behind, falling apart into more violent fits of manic laughter.

"Don't be bitter, Luddy. I know it's tough to have competition- remember that one Austrian prick?-but I'm sure you can steal Vhatshisname from both Francis und Toni. Vell, if you learn to loosen your collar a little... Or just get him drunk... Both, preferably!"

Ludwig's eyes hardened as they bore into his brother's from across the tent pole. "You better drop this now, you hear me, Bruder? Not another vord."

"Ja, ja. Vhatever you say, Vest." Ludwig didn't miss the ghostly trace of Gil's mischievous grin dancing about on his lips.

* * *

**Feliciano felt quite relieved as he entered their tent with his brother. The inside was far larger than it appeared on the out. Three beds were already made and lined up against one side of the wall in a neat array, and there was some excess space near the entrance. Extra bedding was pushed neatly into one of the back corners of the tent. Overall, the tent seemed very ordinary, something that seemed quite rare at this circus. Some random furniture had been placed throughout the room, and absolutely none of it matched in the slightest. Maybe not so ordinary after all, but at least that could be explained. Ivan must be cheaper than he seemed at first.**

They spent a good hour sorting through their meager belongings and scoping out the rest of the tent. Feli discovered some pretty interesting magazines underneath the mattress in between the two others, but Lovi snatched it away before he could open it.

Sharing a glance with his older brother, Feli dragged out a mattress along with some sheets and a questionable-looking pillow. Lovi watched him for a moment before doing the same. Within fifteen minutes, the two had created a place for them to spend the night.

An impatient cough was audible from outside their tent, causing the two to jump slightly.

"Uh, dinner's going to start in fifteen minutes. All staff is supposed to go to the food court. So hurry und get ready." Ludwig's polished voice projected throughout the drafty tent, making Lovi stiffen at the volume. Feli didn't seem to mind much in comparison.

"Ah, thanks~!" Feliciano called out in reply, heading towards the flap immediately. "Where exactly is that, vee?"

Ludwig's face was visible after the tent flap was pulled aside by the small Italian. Lovino suddenly had an odd feeling crash down onto him, as if he was being treated as the third wheel. He crushed this thought in anger as his face heated up slightly.

"I'll show you." The German man said shortly, looking over oddly at the older Italian brother, who remained standing where he was with his arms crossed tightly. Ludwig noted that he was a little pink in the face, as if he had a fever. "Do you feel ill, Lovino? You look a little flushed."

Lovi's head snapped up and his fiery eyes shot daggers of pure hate at Ludwig. "I'm fine. You and Feli can go on ahead. I'll be there later."

"But you don't know vhere the food court is. Don't you vant directions?" Ludwig asked politely, the disgust in Lovino's tone dearly noted.

"Considering how loud and-a obnoxious your fratello is, I don't think I need to worry about directions. Just go." Lovi snapped, watching as Feli bounced over to Ludwig's side. Feli cast his brother a worried look before giving him a little nod and stepping outside the tent with the German. The strange pair walked off a couple paces before Feli rose his questioning eyes to meet Ludwig's, who seemed to have come down with something as well, since his cheeks were beginning to turn a rosy red hue.

"So, why is everyone so secretive here, vee? It seems like you're all hiding something pretty serious from me and-a fratello." His innocence on the subject struck one of Ludwig's internal nerves in an unexplainable way. Pity, perhaps.

"You're forgetting who ve all are. Do you think people vith nice, ordinary lives end up vorking in a circus? Nein, of course not. Because generally people vant the best possible life they can lead. Ve are all here because this is our best possible life. Most of us are vanted criminals, illegal immigrants, refugees... the list goes on. Everyone here has had a rough life, whether they had a say in it or not. Including me und mein Bruder." Ludwig's brilliant blue orbs for eyes seemed to be encased by a forlorn, worldly aura that consumed both he and the nearby Italian. Feli passionately wanted to know what exactly had happened to the German that had forced him and his brother to come here, but felt out of line asking.

Ludwig cast a slightly worried look at Feli, his brow furrowing. "You must never forget to be cautious of all of us. There are a fair few here who have committed very despicable acts. Drug dealing, assassination, cold-blooded murder... are common here. Be careful."

Eyes widened, Feli nodded back, a slight quiver running down his spine as he struggled to keep up with the much larger German's constant pace. "U-Um, if you don't mind me asking... Why-a are you being so nice to us? M-My fratello and I, I mean."

Contemplating an evasive answer good enough to put the Italian's mind to rest, Ludwig responded evenly, without missing a beat. "I don't vant to see any more... accidents. There have been far too many as it is. Und ve have a hard enough time recruiting as it is."

Feliciano felt a little disappointed, but couldn't quite understand why. "Oh." Was all he said in return. A short bout of silence fell over the pair as they struggled with keeping a steady conversation. Eventually Feli decided to test the water a little more.

"S-So, where-a did you live before joining the circus?" He brought himself to ask, feeling his tongue slip itself into dozens of complex knots.

"My family moved constantly, all over Germany. My Vater's job demanded it. I vas born in Berlin, the capital of Germany. Out of all the places ve lived, though, I'd have to say our house next to the Black Forest vas my favorite. Very peaceful. Meine Mutter vas a simple housewife. She vould stay in her vorkshop for hours carving cuckoo clocks out of the Black Forest vood." Ludwig's light orbs softened from the memory. "Und vhat about you, Feli? Vhere did you grow up?"

He blinked, pondering what exactly to say to that. "Well-a, mi fratello and I grew up in Rome and-a eventually moved to Venice. I really miss Venice sometimes, vee... Um, some stuff happened and... we ended up here, in France. It was-a little difficult at first, since neither one of us knew any French, only Italian and-a English, but after awhile we just-a started avoiding people all together, so it didn't really matter."

"I see. Ja, I can't say I see many italienisch here. Gil und I had the same language problem vhen ve first came here. Luckily, most commoners speak at least a little English." Ludwig and Feli came to a stop outside of a long stand directly in front of them, which was brimming with exquisite foods from various countries, some of which were elegant, and some looked like heart-attacks on plain plates or in simple bowls. Feli's taste buds wept when he caught sight of the heaping platters of pasta and ravioli.

The one thing standing in between were the many strange-looking people that all turned to stare at him once he and Ludwig approached the food court. Feli's every instinct screamed at him to flee once he caught sight of their ghastly eyes, which shined a threatening crimson.

* * *

**And this concludes Chapter 2. Sorry about the late update. I could give you my excuses, but they just sound like everyone else's ('School got in they waay... I was having relaaaationship problems... BLAHBLAHBLAH').  
Notice anything different about this chapter? I deceived you guys in the first chapter. Sorry. My writing style isn't actually like that at all. I was experimenting in the first chapter, because I was almost positive that you'd all HATE my ordinary writing style. I guess I came to this conclusion because like the rest of you, I read fanfiction (SHOCKER). I noticed that no one really used much descriptive words. Like, at all. And I got a little sad. For some twisted reason, I decided that I wanted to try that out. I can say with complete honesty that... I just can't. I couldn't fucking DO IT. I have a serious obsession with descriptive words. I'm pretty sure they're my cocaine. I know it sounds snobby, but that's just how it is.  
In truth, I don't have any FUCKING idea how you'll respond to this chapter. So if you want, let me know what your thoughts on it were. Please don't feel obligated to write a review if you don't wish to (if you write a review, I want you to write because you wanted to, not because I asked for it. Opinions are awesome, and I love them, but don't feel obligated to review for my sake). Call me crazy, but that's just how I see it. :P**

Oh God. I ranted. I apologize. Author note rants are another thing I try to avoid. DAMMIT. Last thing: I have no idea when I'll update next. My grades have to stay relatively high, especially my fucking German grade. My professor's been on my ass for a good long while (that sounded... absolutely disgusting.) about it. And a little notice here: I plan on involving some pretty heated sex scenes. There MAY be some rape involved, but I know rape can be a pretty touchy topic for some people (myself included). If I do decide to include it, I won't go into much detail there. But in romantic sex scenes, you can bet FUCK I will. I'll be all over that shit. In sexual ways. ...Bye.


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